Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an authentication system, an electronic apparatus and an authentication method for carrying out the user authentication when the electronic apparatus is remotely operated.
Description of Related Art
When a user or an administrator of an electronic apparatus, such as an image forming apparatus remotely operates the electronic apparatus from a remote operating device, such as an external device (for example, a PC (personal computer)), it is known that the electronic apparatus authenticates the user or the like who carries out the remote operation (see, for example, the following Japanese Patent Application Publications).
In the Japanese Patent Application Publications No. 2006-59083 and No. 2006-42309, the remote operating system having the authentication device is disclosed.
In the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-363969, the user authentication method to be carried out in the remote operating system having a plurality of remote operating devices and a plurality of electronic apparatuses is disclosed.
In the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-321944, in the remote operating system having the function for authenticating the user, it is disclosed that the image forming apparatus which is the electronic apparatus to be remotely operated by the remote operating device prohibits the user from inputting the operation to the operation panel of the image forming apparatus when the remote operating device remotely operates the image forming apparatus.
In the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-11090, it is disclosed that the image forming apparatus comprises an authentication unit for authenticating the user who carries out the remote operation and a control unit for controlling the remote operating device so as to display the operation window corresponding to the user.
By the user authentication, it is possible to avoid the problems (for example, the discrepancy between the operations for the electronic apparatus, or the like) caused by remotely operating the main body of the electronic apparatus.
In recent years, there are electronic apparatuses in which in addition to the main controller for controlling the main body of the electronic apparatus, the sub-controller for controlling the electronic apparatus independently from the main controller is provided.
Because the sub-controller is independent from the main controller, the user or the like can remotely operate the electronic apparatus via the sub-controller without the user authentication carried out by the main controller. Therefore, even though the main controller is in the shutdown condition, sub-controller can execute the operation for the electronic apparatus. For example, even though the main body of the electronic apparatus is powered off and the OS (Operating System) program of the electronic apparatus does not respond, the user or the like can remotely monitor, diagnose or repair the electronic apparatus via the sub-controller by using an external device. Further, because the sub-controller does not depend on the operating status of the main controller, it is possible to ensure the stable processing ability.
However, on the other hand, the user or the like whom the main controller does not authenticate remotely operates the electronic apparatus. In the above electronic apparatus, the problem which could be avoided by the conventional user authentication was caused again.